The almighty Maten sutra huh?
by jykamiya
Summary: Sanzo's sacred scroll was out of harm's way, or so he thought... learn how it magically disappeared and the dire consequences that follow... XD
1. Chapter 1

Hey fellas! Welcome to my very first Saiyuki fanfic, one which I hope you'll find amusing and entertaining! This first chapter's just basically about the party's normal routine on one of their usual days. Reviews are much appreciated, by the way. XD

Chapter 1 

The wheels of a certain green jeep whirred along easily across the sand-covered path, kicking up huge clouds of dust which threatened to envelope its now very irritated and ill-tempered passengers. Save for the driver, of course. There was nothing ill-tempered about him and irritation would be the last word used to describe his air at the moment. An amiable looking chap with green eyes and attire to match, Cho Hakkai was the picture of serenity as he hummed a by-now-stuck-inside-the-heads-of-his-3-friends-much-to-their-dismay tune under his breath while drumming his fingers on the steering wheel along to the beat. His piercing eyes took in the miles and miles of sand dunes stretched out ahead of them as well as the jagged-looking mountains shrouded in mist looming menacingly in the distance. A very challenging route, it would seemed, especially for the driver responsible for navigating their vehicle through the rough terrains and obstacle-loaded roads. But nothing ever ruffled Hakkai's remarkably good temper. Well, nothing except stubborn coffee stains, make-shift ashtrays and the rain which never failed to transform his typical good-natured expression into one of gloom and dread. But for now, in the bright sunshine complete with a pleasant breeze which tugged gently at Hakkai's well-kept brown hair, those haunting memories were locked away in the depths of his mind and his high spirits remain high even as a scuffle, involving a lot of name-calling and head-locking, broke out in the backseat behind him.

The same, however, could not be said for the robe-clad monk beside him, from which a strange grinding sound can be heard, followed by mutterings that sounded suspiciously like "….shut up….. kill….throw your body to dogs…." and more grinding. Genjyo Sanzo clutched his head and stifled a groan at the pounding headache which had stubbornly refused to disappear, despite countless caffeine and nicotine fixes. And two numbskulls in the back acting like the childish immature brats they were was definitely not helping matters either. Goodness knows why he agreed to this seemingly-outrageous mission in the first place. Oh right, maybe it was because he didn't have a CHOICE?? His chain of thought broke off suddenly at a particularly painful throb and he winced involuntarily. _Damn, here it goes again. _

As the level of noise rose to an intolerable level, his scowl deepened and the inevitable twitching started. _3…..2…..1……_Hakkai murmured silently to himself, unable to resist a light chuckle as his practiced eyes noted the tell-tale signs with considerable ease. All of a sudden, the said monk whirled around with admirable speed, whipping out a gun in the process and firing off a shot which whizzed through the one-inch gap between the noses of the two bickering idiots engrossed in their own heated argument. That did the trick alright. The about-to-be-hurled insults died in their throats at the sound of the shot and a stunned silence ensued.

Only to be broken by another infuriating chuckle from the driver's seat. "My, my, Sanzo, it looks like you're on a roll today." An amused laugh. "That's the 23rd time you're fired at them today."

"You hear that, you crazy monk??" The red-haired Gojyo, one of the victims who had escaped death so narrowly once again snapped out of his trance-like state to yell furiously at the gun-owner. "That's the 23rd time you've nearly gotten our heads blown off!"

"More like the 23rd bullet I've wasted on two useless idiots."

"WHY YOU……!!"

"You wanna try that again? I'm not concerned about wasting an additional bullet if it means I won't be seeing your face again for good."

"……"

Goku, the other 'idiot' referred to by Sanzo merely cowered in his corner of the jeep and whimpered softly. He hated it when Sanzo got mad, partly because he preferred to remain in his Sun's good books and partly because it usually meant less food and tolerance for his consistent whining. But mainly because he valued his life and would prefer to remain bullet-free, unlike Gojyo here. He gazed at Sanzo anxiously, only to be rewarded with a harsh "Stop staring at me, you dumb ape." Sighing miserably, Goku reluctantly tore his eyes off Sanzo's smoldering form and turned to look for something to gaze morosely at. There was only the smarting water-kappa and the ever-smiling driver, both of which he had ceased to find amusing after a week on the road. Another sigh.

As Gojyo retreated to his own corner very grudgingly and Sanzo released his death grip on the gun, peace was restored in the jeep again. But for how long, one couldn't really tell, Hakkai reflected. After all these months of traveling together, he still fails to hide his amusement at the predictability of his companions' 'disagreements'. It was always the same, day in day out, an unbreakable routine that had settled comfortably into their daily lives. Gojyo and Goku would launch head first into an argument, which would lead to signs of Sanzo losing it, which would very unwisely go unheeded as the duo continue yelling, which would be promptly followed by Sanzo's very distinct death threats. And if they choose to ignore even that, which accounts for nearly 99 of the time, we then have the all-too-familiar scene of Sanzo exploding like a full-blown volcano, whacking away with his infamous harisan or firing wildly at the speed of 100 bullets per second like it's nobody's business. And THAT would effectively silence them. Except for the few rare occasions where Gojyo would be bold enough to tell Sanzo exactly what he thought of him, in protest of such unfitting punishment for such harmless misbehaviour. This would, of course, only result in the muzzle of a certain gun being pressed firmly against his temple, which had never failed to shut him up. Dim-witted as Gojyo could be at times, he wasn't that stupid to argue with a cocked gun and a very itching finger on the trigger. And thus, harmony would be re-established, and the cycle would repeat itself a few hundred times before the day was out.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Are we there yet??"

It was a whole half hour before Goku finally mustered enough courage to voice the thought that had been haunting him the past hour. He knew he was taking a risk though. On bad days, Sanzo's temper wouldn't have been sufficiently cooled down and the harisan would come hurtling down at 60 miles an hour on his head.

"Shut up."

Well, that wasn't too bad….

"But I'm….."

"Just another 15 minutes to go before we reach the next town, Goku," Hakkai quickly butted in, sensing Sanzo's darkening expression. He shot Goku a warning look through the rear view mirror. Amusing as it was, it certainly wouldn't do for another blow-up to occur so soon after the previous one. These kinda things weren't too good on one's already nearly-frayed nerves. Oh, who was he kidding… he just wasn't that keen on handling corpses. Thank God Gojyo wasn't in on this exchange of words, he had this strange tendency of making situations worse. Much worse.

"Yo, ugly monk… why don't you lighten up a little?"

Then again… maybe he spoke too soon. In his entire existence, he had never known Gojyo's blabbering mouth to pass up any opportunity to poke fun at Sanzo. "Learn to relax… like me."

Sanzo observed Gojyo's sprawled-out form and dangling limbs with unconcealed disgust. "Please. I would never degrade myself to the same level as a pathetic ero-kappa like you."

"WHY YOU……!!"

Click of the gun.

Hakkai heaved a huge sigh. And here they go again. It was gonna be a long day.

Sanzo settled himself comfortably in the armchair, armed with his reading glasses, a steaming cup of thick, black coffee and today's newspapers clutched safely under his arm. Hakkai's '15 minutes' to the town had turned out to be a remarkable 3 hours and it was late afternoon when they finally pulled up in front of a gaudy-looking inn with a rainbow-colored roof and gaily-decorated curtains. Sanzo had hesitated a full ten seconds, frowning with disapproval upon the building before deciding he wasn't going to circle the entire town in search of another inn. And now he could finally enjoy a quiet afternoon with the three idiots absent. Hakkai had ventured out on his standard shopping trip as usual, with Goku and Gojyo tagging along after having been promised food and beer respectively. Come to think of it, that was rather tactful of Hakkai, knowing that Sanzo would appreciate a little alone time after being trapped in the jeep with Goku and Gojyo for hours on end. Mentally apologizing to Hakkai for classifying with the other two real idiots, he shook out the newspaper edition and was soon engrossed in an article of interest.

The sun blazed down mercilessly and Hakkai found himself wondering for the 56th time if it was possible to skip the rest of his shopping and sneak into a cozy little café for an icy cold drink or two instead. He lifted his now drenched sleeve to mop his brow once again before the perspiration dripped into his eyes and absent-mindedly wondered where Gojyo and Goku had wandered off to. Evidently, they had grown bored and even the reward of food and beer had lost their attractiveness under the scorching heat of the sun. Contemplating seeking out shelter as well, Hakkai promptly brushed the thought aside. Being the responsible person he was, he just couldn't bear the thought of leaving his duties unfinished. And there was also the thought of Sanzo's scary response if he returned without his craved Marlboro cigarettes. Oh well. Hakkai smiled resignedly to himself and plodded on.

An hour later saw him at the doorstep of Sanzo's room. Which was also HIS room, for that matter. "I'm back!" Hakkai's placid voice sounded a little strained as he gingerly knocked on the closed door. His shopping had been exhausting, what with the scorching hot weather and having to deal with the two noisy brats constantly at loggerheads. A lesser man would have thrown down everything in frustration, broken down in huge wails and sobs and jumped off the cliff never to be seen again. But at least he was back under the shelter of the roof once again, able to look forward to a quiet restful evening with the silent Sanzo.

"My cigarettes." It was more of a statement than a question. Hakkai rummaged through his numerous shopping bags, his hand delving into one bag after another and his mind registering panic as the damned item failed to show up. _It HAS got to be here somewhere!! I distinctly remember purchasing it at the tobacco shop. Why, I even remember the girl behind the counter flirting and batting her lashes at me… whoops, I seem to going off topic...ahaha. _He lifted his head very very cautiously and was not the least surprised to see Sanzo turning redder and redder. "Ahahaha….I.. uhh… seemed to have misplaced your cigarettes somewhere, Sanzo." And before Sanzo could fire a second shot at him, he was out of the door and rushing for the shop at top speed, ignoring the screeches of a cat whose tail he had very imprudently trodden on _and_ the curses of a very disgruntled elderly man he had elbowed to one side in his haste. Very un-Hakkaish-like, one has to admit. But then again, a murderous Sanzo could very well drive even the sanest person on earth to the brink of insanity. _So much for a quiet afternoon. Sigh. _

It was fast approaching dusk when Hakkai finally walked through the inn's front entrance again, this time with the cigarettes clutched tightly in his fist. Fully expecting the others to be guzzling away like there's no tomorrow at the restaurant, he headed towards the back of the inn and was rewarded with two very familiar voices yelling at the top of their voices over something that sounded vaguely like "porc bunn" and "sprung rull". Then there came the usual sound plates shattering and more furious howls. But wait a minute, there's definitely something amiss here. Where were those inevitable death threats and gunshots? Their absence could only mean 2 things; One: Sanzo had suddenly turned over a new leaf and had sworn off cursing and murdering for good, and Two: he had gone to bed. Hakkai laughed inwardly at the first. What a thought.

"Yo, Hakkai! Over here!" Even Goku with his fist cocked ready paused mid-swing to greet Hakkai with one of his ever ready grins. And then the fist came crashing down squarely on Gojyo's unprepared head.

"OWW! YOU STUPID MONKEY!!"

"Who are you calling a monkey, you PERVERTED COCKROACH!"

"Why you…. Take that!! AND THAT!!"

"OWWWW! OWWW….Stop it! You Ero-kappa!! Owww….Hakkai, help!!!"

"Maa…maa…," laughed Hakka as he settled down into one of the empty chairs. "You don't want everyone in the restaurant staring at us now, do you?" After he had dispatched a messenger boy to Sanzo's room with strict instructions to "very carefully slip the packet of cigarettes under the door without making the slightest sound unless you want your head shot at", Hakkai proceeded with his dinner in the company of his two friends. "I assume Sanzo complained of a headache and locked himself in his room as usual?"

"Just throw in a couple of gunshots and a few of those fan-whacks and you've got it right. Good riddance to him anyway. As if anyone wants to see that surly face of his right through dinner. Makes one lose their appetite, I'll say."

"Hey, that's not very nice you pervy cockroach! Sanzo's just tired from all that traveling today!"

"Oh yeah? Then why do we have Hakkai here looking as chirpy as a sparrow after all that driving?"

"That's because it's Hakkai, you numbskull!"

"…………what the hell does that have to with it?!?!"

Hakkai chuckled to himself, looking up just in time to dodge a piece of crockery which had been mis-thrown in his general direction. Dinner was always entertaining with those two around.


	3. Chapter 3

To my reviewers,

Kean: My first reviewer deserves a hug I guess… P hugsssss

RamblingKitsuneOnna : Thanks so much for your review! It really made my day! XD

Chapter 3

"Ne, Hakkai," A familiar whine rang out through the silence that night. "I'm bored." After Goku had eaten to his heart's content and the 46th dish has been cleared away, they had retreated to their OTHER room, the one without the grumpy Sanzo obviously, to play cards and kill the time which crawled by so slowly in these rural parts of the country. No bars, no brothels, no night clubs for Gojyo and no late night restaurants to satisfy Goku's hunger pangs. And so Hakkai was obliged to keep the two hyper-active brats occupied, hence, poker. After his 12th successive win, however, they had thrown him out of the game, muttering something about him bribing the Gods. And THEN Goku had gotten bored, for when you're not too efficient with cards and your opponent's a gloating kappa who has cards concealed in various parts of his body and never fails to rub the fact in after you had lost another round AGAIN, well, that comes as no surprise at all. Hakkai looked up from the book he was engrossed in in feigned surprise.

"But I thought you were having fun playing poker with Gojyo?"

"That's right." A lazy drawl, accompanied with a puff of smoke. "Playing poker with Gojyo is always fun, didn't you know that you stupid ape? I must say I had loads of fun cleaning out your pockets."

"It is SO NOT FUN, you cheating erokappa!! You cheated the last round, and the round before that, AND the round before that… AND…and… AND now I'm broke!"

"Aww…the poor bakasaru's broke…. how…how….heart-wrenching.." Followed by a few extra-loud, fake sobs.

"Now, now," Hakkai hastily cut in to prevent another disaster, and of all places, just next door to a sleeping Sanzo too. "Goku, why don't we go out for a walk or something? Or perhaps you'll care for a lesson? You've been making good progress with your books lately."

"But I wanna PLAY! Don't you have anything I can play with, Hakkai?"

"Umm…."

"Why don't you go play with your precious Sanzo, bakasaru? I'm sure he's feeling all bored and lonely in the next room," Gojyo remarked sarcastically, then brightened as a brainwave washed over him. "Hey, bakasaru. You're bored right? Well, I dare you to sneak into Sanzo's room and steal his gun or something." Now THAT would be interesting to watch. Much more exciting than playing poker with a dense monkey who was bound to lose every round.

Goku and Hakkai stared at him in aghast, followed by a reproachful look from Hakkai which clearly said "You should know better than to suggest things like that, Gojyo." But Gojyo was immune to all reproachful looks from Hakkai at the moment.

"Come on, bakasaru. If you grab something and manage to return in one piece, I'll let you have the last spring roll or meat dumpling for a whole fortnight."

Goku's eyes sparkled at the thought, then clouded over as the grimness of the task which lay ahead of him sank in. "But…but… Sanzo will kill me if I get caught! And he's such a light sleeper! And he keeps his gun under the pillow! And…and….."

"Easy. Don't get caught then."

"Gojyo…. ," Hakkai's tone held a warning note. "Goku, please ignore what Gojyo says. He's just trying to get you into trouble for the sake of a little entertainment."

"Oh, come on, 'Kai, don't be such a spoilsport. He's Sanzo's charge, for heaven's sake. What harm could that grouchy monk possibly inflict upon him even if he DID get caught?" Huge sweatdrops at this. Apparently, LOTS of harm. "Or is the bakasaru too afraid to do it? Huh? I've always known you were a monkey, but now it turns out you're a chicken as well. Chicken, chicken, chicken…."

"Argghhh…I'm so NOT a chicken, you idiotic kappa!! And I'll prove it to you!!" His mouth set in a determined line, he headed for the door, ignoring all Hakkai's words of wisdom advising him against such a suicidal task. Even Hakyuruu who had been resting in one corner of the room with his head tucked inside his wings flapped around Goku's head in a feeble attempt to change his mind. Only Gojyo lay slumped against the wall grinning like a maniacal serial-killer on the loose who had just spotted its next victim all vulnerable and exposed to his murderous intentions.

Goku paused outside Sanzo's room, gulped a couple of times, then cautiously pressed his ear to the door in search of any tell-tale sounds that might indicate an awake and very dangerous Sanzo. Silence greeted him. But that could mean anything from a sound asleep Sanzo to a very wide awake one smoking at the window sill. Should he knock? If he did, he could always come up with an excuse – he was hungry, for example – in the event that Sanzo was awake. Oh what the heck. As if Sanzo was gonna fall for such a lame excuse. Heaving a huge breath, Goku laid a trembling hand on the doorknob and gave it a little twist and push. The door slid open noiselessly and he muttered a silent prayer of thanks for its well-oiled state. No harisan came crashing down on his head, no bullets whizzed past his ear. Well, so far so good.

It took a while before his eyes became accustomed to the pitch darkness of the room and the very first thing he sought out was the sole danger of the room; its occupant. His eyes picked out the vague shape of a blanket-covered lump in the bed with slightly tousled blonde hair and the pounding of his heart slowed down a little. Well, here goes nothing. He took a cautious step forward and almost jumped out of his skin when his foot came down upon a loose floorboard which creaked for all it was worth. _Holy Shit!_ It was, in fact, nothing more than the squeak of a mouse, but to Goku the noise seemed as loud as the launching of a rocket for the moon. He glanced at the inert figure fearfully, fully expecting it to stir, followed by the most violent, volcanic explosion ever recorded in the history of mankind. He nearly fainted at the sound of a soft click, not unlike the sound of a gun being cocked, and was halfway out of the door in full panic mode before he realized that the motionless form on the bed remained motionless. And then it dawned upon him that the said-click was no other than lights out for the next door guests. What a relief!

Goku remained poised in the doorway, contemplating giving up the whole ridiculous idea and returning to the safe haven next door after experiencing the fright of his life. Dinner was, after all, all about grabbing the last spring roll and the survival of the fittest. What would be the fun if Gojyo was to meekly let him have it for a whole fortnight?? Then he pictured Gojyo's mocking laugh if he was to return admitting defeat and he immediately gathered renewed courage, stepping boldly into the room for the second time. He was so gonna show Gojyo! Carefully avoiding the wretched floorboard which had nearly cost him his life, Goku made his way quickly but soundlessly to the bedside without anymore unfortunate occurrences and paused to stare at his Sun who was lying on his side as usual with his eyes closed. Now, where in the world does Sanzo keep that darned gun of his?


	4. Chapter 4

Wow… 4th chapter and going… let's see if I can manage to finish this story AND with a nice ending too.. lol…wish me luck, fellas!

To:

jarm: Thanks loads, and am hurrying as fast as I can, but considering the fact that I'm a procrastinator…. heee

Sarah: You flatter me, seriously…. Not that I'm complaining of course! Anyways, here's the update!

RamblingKitsuneOnna: Seems to me you really care for Goku… XD Not to worry, I don't intend on killing him off….

Chapter 4 

His eyes darted through the few belongings of Sanzo thrown about carelessly on the counter. Cigarettes, lighter, spare bullets, newspapers. But no gun. His gaze then fell upon the chest of drawers placed very 'strategically' just beside Sanzo's sleeping figure, but he knew Sanzo wasn't one to store his things away neatly in drawers. Come to think of it, only Hakkai alone among their company of four does things like that. Then again, even if Sanzo WAS in the habit of drawer-storing, no way in hell was he gonna go pulling out drawers right under Sanzo's nose. He strained to peek under the pillow, the most likely hiding place of all, and was rewarded with a gleam of silver. Unsatisfied with such a subtle hint however, Goku crept closer for a clearer look till he was about a foot away from Sanzo's face. It was then that Sanzo suddenly grunted and moved, and poor Goku nearly died on the spot as he leapt back in terror. But Sanzo was only shifting for a more comfortable position and soon settled back against the sheets. Goku remained frozen on the spot where he had fallen, clutching his poor heart who had taken two great shocks in such a short time and caught himself wondering if he was about to die of heart failure that night.

There was absolutely no way Goku was going to try and obtain that gun concealed so safely under that pillow. What was he supposed to do? Try and move Sanzo's head? HAH. He desperately scanned the room for any other item that was equally attractive, and noticed with some degree of surprise Sanzo's white robe lying sprawled across the arm of a chair. Sanzo's worldly robes were usually the first thing in the wash whenever they happen to stop at an inn for the night, considering the fact that they were white and any youkai encounters would leave the most obvious stains of all imaginable colours. Oh rightttt, things have been relatively quiet these days, with Gojyo even going so far as to suggest that the youkais have decided to take the week off for a holiday in conjunction with the 100-day anniversary of having their butts kicked thoroughly by the Sanzo-ikko. Not being able to sneak off Sanzo's gun had been rather disappointing, but the harisan would be a rather good alternative, especially since it would mean less whacks on the head.

He ran clumsy fingers through the numerous pockets of the robe, sneaking peaks at Sanzo every once in a while to ensure that he was really sleeping and not pointing the gun at him ready to blow his brains out. He couldn't even begin to imagine Sanzo's reaction if he was to stir and catch Goku with hands buried deep in his precious robe's pockets; even that thought alone was enough to send the coldest of shivers down his spine. He would be considered extremely fortunate if Sanzo were to put a bullet through his head right that instance, at least it would be fast and relatively….. Goku's chain of thought suddenly broke off as his fingers fell upon a stiff, cylindrical object, which he pulled out with barely concealed curiosity. As far as he knows, Sanzo doesn't own anything of that… Oh My. Choking back a gasp which had almost involuntarily slipped out, Goku stared in awe and fascination at the Maten Sutra grasped tightly in his very own hand. THE Maten Sutra. Sanzo's pride and joy, the one thing he would never let Goku touch, goodness knows what permanent-ink drawings he might have produced on it. It was the very reason behind this whole Journey to the West, the depression on rainy days, his surly deposition. Oh wait, that wasn't exactly true. Sanzo's surly deposition had existed ever since the day he was born.

A sudden grunt from the bed brought Goku back to reality, and he realised with a start that pondering the source of Sanzo's brusque manners was probably one of the most unwise things to be doing at that moment. His main focus should be on beating a hasty retreat, it was already almost a miracle he had survived unscathed for a whole five minutes in this room. But what was he to do with this sutra? The obvious answer would be to replace it exactly like he had found it, return to safety, and feign ignorance if questioned by Sanzo in the morning about any suspicious findings. And he was about to do just that, when a dismaying thought occurred to him. How was he ever gonna face that ass kappa empty-handed??? There was absolutely nothing else in the room that was worth taking, and he was pretty certain that Gojyo wouldn't look too kindly upon Marlboro cigarettes or today's newspapers or even spare ammunition. He could already hear the inevitable teasing and mocking words inside his head, and he cringed at the thought of being a labeled a chicken. He, Goku, a CHICKEN??? _Over my dead body, _Goku vowed and found himself contemplating the outrageous idea of actual smuggling the sutra out just so that he could prove himself to the kappa. _I can always return it once I waved it in front of Gojyo's nose, can't I? _

Meanwhile, in the next room, a very anxious Hakkai was pacing the floor endlessly and a not-too-anxious Gojyo was lounging and puffing away at his Hi-Lites as if he hadn't a care in the world. Hakkai paused to throw his 23rd worried look at the doorway, and was disappointed to find himself staring at a close, and unyielding wooden door once again.

"I do hope Goku is alright. He's been gone such a long time."

"For goodness sake, Hakkai! It's only been a minute!" Gojyo sighed aloud in mock exasperation. "The monkey's not as dumb as I make him out to be, ya know…. And besides, it's been as quiet as a churchyard, there'll surely be some noise if he gets caught right?" He winked mischievously at Hakkai. But there was nothing even remotely mischievous about the way Hakkai glared back at him with cold, indifferent eyes.

"This whole thing is entirely your fault, you know that don't you, Gojyo?" Gojyo gulped uncomfortably, shifting his eyes away so that they weren't staring directly into Hakkai's hard ones. Give him a thousand snarling youkais, a trigger-happy grouchy monk, a broken leg, give him anything but a not-so-happy Hakkai looking exactly like he was looking at that moment. The only other time he had seen Hakkai look like that was when he had forgotten to take the thrash out AGAIN for the 7th consecutive time despite countless reminders and post-it notes, and Hakkai had returned at night to see huge fat worms crawling out of the garbage bag. OOoo.. even now he winced at the thought of THAT Hakkai….

"Uhh…."

Three whole minutes crawled by slowly. To Gojyo it seemed like an eternity, especially as Hakkai grew more and more frustrated. And every once in a while, he would give Gojyo this very scary look which promised lots of pain if Goku was to return harmed. Bang! The sudden sound of the door being slammed open gave them both a start, and questioning eyes were immediately turned in that direction. And lo and behold, if it wasn't our favourite saru standing there, looking a trifle pale no doubt, but none the worse for wear and clutching something tightly in his right hand. His eyes lighted up at the sight of his two companions and he darted in, but not without a quick look behind his shoulders just in case Sanzo might suddenly make an unpleasant appearance.

"Goku!" Hakkai's relief was overwhelming and he pulled the boy towards him for a hug, followed by a stern lecture on doing things without considering its consequences. Goku merely grinned, Hakkai's words only half-registering in his head, as he waved his prized possession in the kappa's direction. Gojyo felt relief washing over him as well, though it wasn't due to the saru's unharmed state but rather his own skin being saved from Hakkai's wrath. Then he noticed Goku waving some unfamiliar-looking item his way, all flushed and excited over this rather insignificant thing.

"Guess what I've got here, Gojyo!" In his keyed-up state, Goku had quite forgotten to refer to Gojyo as 'cockroach' or 'perverted kappa' or some other rude nickname reserved especially for Gojyo. Not the case with Gojyo, though.

"Sure doesn't look like a gun to me, bakasaru. Must be a naked picture of Sanzo to get you all wound up and animated like this."

"It is SO not!!" Came the indignant reply. "Look for yourself, you idiotic water-sprite. And don't forget the deal we had earlier!" Goku's smug manner grated on Gojyo's nerves, and he impatiently shook out the rolled-up parchment, wondering what in heaven's sake had gotten the dumb ape so cocky and arrogant. And thus, the Maten Sutra was laid out in full view for all to see


	5. Chapter 5

Thanks loads for the reviews, guys! Here's the fifth chapter, hope you find it entertaining...

Chapter 5

"What the….?!?" Gojyo stared and stared at the scroll as if he couldn't believe his eyes, pinched himself to see if he was dreaming, then stared and stared some more. It couldn't…. it couldn't possibly be THE Maten Sutra, could it? Of course, he knew the Maten Sutra was some kind of ancient scroll with lines of intelligible gibberish scrawled across it, but that was about as far as his knowledge on the holy script extended to. His eyes narrowed with suspicion as a sudden thought struck him. "Hey…. you trying to pull our legs, idiot saru?? As if we're gonna fall for a fake like this."

It was a very surprised Goku who returned Gojyo's scornful glare with "Huh? What are you talking about" clearly written on his expression. Oh shit. This means that the kid wasn't lying; it was impossible for Goku to lie without turning as red as a beetroot or looking like a bug had just crawled up his ass. Which means that the scroll was the real thing…… It took a little time for both his and Hakkai's mind to process that little fact.

"HOW THE HELL DID YOU GET YOUR HANDS ON THIS, BAKASARU?!?!"

"WHAT?!?!? GOKU, PLEASE TELL ME YOU'RE NOT SERIOUS!!"

Both outbursts erupted simultaneously. Goku smirked, thoroughly enjoying the reactions his pinched treasure was bringing. Even Hakkai, with a reputation for being the calmest ever living thing on earth – able to lecture others on physics even as underground walls and ceilings are caving in, for example – looked slack-jawed much to Goku's amusement. "I grabbed it off Sanzo's robe," he declared delightedly, as if it was the easiest thing on earth to do. As the others continued to stare at him incomprehensively, he ventured to explain further. "Sanzo was sleeping, so I took this from his robe." Sweatdrops.

"Oh man! The cranky monk is so gonna flip if he knew you took his precious sutra!" Gojyo howled with laughter, having recovered from his initial shock in an amazingly short time. "This is so damn cool! The one thing that Sanzo wouldn't part with for the world in my hands right now! Let me savour this moment for a bit." He fondled the scroll lovingly with closed eyes, and then insisted that Goku snap a picture of him striking a sexy pose with the sutra around his shoulders.

"Goku, this… this is wrong… you should return this to Sanzo immediately!" Hakkai actually looked worried, which, considering the fact that he is perfectly capable of laughing while driving off cliffs, could signify a very serious issue here. He snatched the scroll of Gojyo's still-showing-off-form, ignored the loud outcry that followed, and thrust it into Goku's hands determinedly. A look of horror suddenly flashed across Goku's face. It seemed like the thought of having to return the sutra to its original location had never dawned upon him.

"Oh, come on, Hakkai! Don't be such a spoilsport!" Snatching the sutra back from Goku's limp arms, Gojyo put on his most persuasive look. "Don't you realize the almighty Sutra is here right now, in our hands? We can find out the reason behind its power, the reason behind all this Gyumaoh destruction nightmare, everything! Aren't you ever curious, 'Kai?"

"Well….. I've often wondered what those printed Chinese characters actually mean," Hakkai started slowly then caught himself falling headlong into Gojyo's carefully laid trap. "Wait…. wait a minute! We can't do this! Why, if we ever get caught, Sanzo will… will….."

"Break all our fingers one at a time, set us on fire, tear all our vital organs out then bury us alive. And that's just for starters," Gojyo remarked cheerfully. "Aww, don't be such a wussy, Hakkai! I've never known you to chicken out of doing anything dangerous. And besides, this will only take 15 minutes, we'll have this damned thing scrutinized and examined and returned to Sanzo in two shakes of a duck's tail."

Hakkai finally gave in. There was no way he could persuade Gojyo out of it, and truth to be told, he HAD been rather curious about the sutra since the day he had saw its unleashed power destroying a whole swarm of youkais. And he had to admit Gojyo's little sermon there had some sense to it, what other better opportunity is there to finally settle their inquisitiveness regarding this holy scripture which Sanzo would rather die than to part with? And besides, 15 minutes was a relatively short time, wasn't it? 15 minutes, 15 minutes….. he'll have to keep on reminding himself that. The sutra was laid flat out on the table, and the three of them crowded around it with Goku prodding and sniffing, Gojyo stroking and caressing and Hakkai trying to decipher the complicated characters covering the entire face of the sutra.

Half an hour later, Hakkai finally stirred from his hunched position on the table and noted with surprise that he was the only remaining one still holding an interest for the sutra. Goku was chomping away happily at some pork buns, stolen from the kitchen no doubt, while Gojyo was flipping through some corny looking magazine and grinning away as his imagination ran wild. Busy as he was, Goku noticed Hakkai's slight movement and waved at him readily from the other side of the room. "Is that thing really interesting, Hakkai? All those boring words seemed to make no sense to me," he remarked mournfully. "And it doesn't even look good to eat."

"Oh yes," replied Hakkai cheerfully, all traces of his earlier reluctance long gone, "The words were characters of olden Chinese, a few thousand years ago, that's the reason why you couldn't make head or tail out of it, Goku. I've only had time to understand the first line of the sutra, and its meaning isn't yet clear to me, but give me a couple of hours and everything should be comprehensible by then."

"Tsk. The ape wouldn't even understand a word even if it was written in modern language. I bet…." Gojyo's words were suddenly cut off by a gust of wind that blew into the room and carried the sutra out the window before anyone could even move a muscle. For a split-second, there was sudden, absolute silence in the room. Not even the sound of breathing could be heard. Then the fact that the sutra had flew out the window finally sank in.


	6. Chapter 6

Sanzo drifted from his dreamless sleep to the hazy semi-conscious state where the lines between reality and fantasy are blurred, before fully stirring from his deep slumber. He sat up in bed blinking in surprise at the sight of the sun high in the sky and noted with wonder that it was almost 8am in the morning. He had missed the early rooster crows, the stamps of determined morning joggers, even the loud praying from the nearby temple. This was the very first time he had slept so soundly without being haunted by nightmares since that day his master….. _Damn. Damn. Damn. Why did he have to go stir up painful memories like that??_

He stumbled out of bed for the bathroom and noticed with even more surprise the unmoving lump in the room's other bed. _Hakkai's still in bed??? At this hour???_ Was the first incredulous thought which fleeted through his mind. Now THAT was strange. Hakkai was usually up and about at 6am, cheerfully preparing breakfast for the other 3 later waker-ups. The idea of a drunk Hakkai suffering from a hangover was preposterous, and so was the possibility of a suddenly bed-ridden, sick Hakkai. Could it be…… Hakkai had been drugged? Poisoned?? Attacked??? Beaten into unconsciousness???? DEAD?????

In two quick steps, Sanzo was within reach of Hakkai and shaking him by the shoulder none too gently. To say he was concerned over Hakkai's wellbeing would be putting it too lightly. He was almost out of him mind with worry…… at the thought of having to cope with the two noisy brats alone throughout the rest of the journey. Getting no response except a muffled groan, he shook harder and Hakkai finally opened puffy eyes to stare uncomprehendingly at Sanzo. "Sanzo." Was the only acknowledgement he received before Hakkai buried himself deeper into the pillows.

"Do you have any idea what time it is??"

"Huh? Time?" Hakkai suddenly shot upright in bed, noticing for the first time the brightness of the room and the absence of the birds' early morning chirping. Not to mention Sanzo staring straight at him, as if demanding an explanation for this totally out-of-character behavior.

"Ahahaha….. looks like I overslept…" And before Sanzo could even say anything, he had bolted for the bathroom and locked himself in. _Phew…. that was too close for words._ He didn't even have time to observe Sanzo's reaction. Pausing for a moment to catch his breath, Hakkai silently reprimanded himself for acting so rashly and making things look even more suspicious than they already do. He stared at the reflection of himself, noting the tell-tale dark circles under his eyes and groaned inwardly. 3-hour's sleep was certainly taking a toll on him. But wait a minute… where was that….his arm already digging ferociously in his backpack, it was a matter of seconds before his fingers closed around the familiar compact case. And Hakkai beamed as he drew out a…… make-up kit. Just what he needed. Quickly dabbing huge puffs of powder over those darkened rings, he was rewarded with the sight of a much more presentable-looking Hakkai betraying no signs of a disturbed good night's sleep. Ahhh… the power of make-up…. Now the only remaining issue was to act as if nothing amiss had happened the night before. That should be easy. After all, he was an expert when it comes to acting and fake smiles, wasn't he?

Hakkai gazed at Gojyo and Goku seated at the breakfast table in dismay. The thought of THEM having to put up a good act to fool Sanzo as well had completely slipped his mind. Goku was nodding off in his seat every other minute with a half-eaten meatbun still clutched tightly in each hand while Gojyo has just set off on perhaps his 33rd yawn. And his usual big gaping ones too, with no attempt whatsoever to keep them concealed. Half-afraid, Hakkai tilted his head a little to observe the effect of this spectacle on Sanzo. The said person was staring at the two VERY suspiciously indeed, narrowed eyes and all, and it was with restraint that he kept his itching finger far away from the very appealing harisan. But this simply could not go on. He would most certainly not tolerate two drooping-off fatheads at the table, and with all eyes on them too.

He calmly produced his gun from under the folds of his robe and Hakkai raised a single eyebrow in silent amazement. Surely Sanzo wasn't planning on firing at them right now when they were half-asleep and groggy?? It just wasn't like Sanzo. After all, it kinda kills his morbid satisfaction of seeing the fear and terror in one's eyes when facing the muzzle of his gun. But no, instead of firing it, Sanzo slammed the gun down full force on the table with a bang loud enough to send roosting birds in the trees squawking and screeching into the air. And Goku, Gojyo, plus the rest of the restaurant's patrons, nearly had a heart attack.

"What the hell??!?!?!" The suddenly awake Gojyo looked pissed to no end, the effect of which was rather spoiled by the feeble massaging of his heart. "Do you want to kill us or something, you senseless monk???"

"I was rather hoping for that."

"WHY YOU……!"

"Ahh, Gojyo? Your heart is supposed to be on your LEFT side on the chest, if I'm not mistaken."

"…………. I knew that of course!"

Goku merely stared mournfully at the meatbuns scattered on the floor, which he himself had deposited in a hurry at the sound of the sky about to fall in. All that good food gone to waste! He opened his mouth and was about to whine over such a drastic loss when he perceived Sanzo glaring at him, Gojyo staring at him bemusedly, and Hakkai gazing at him imploringly. It was as if he was expected to say something. But what?

"Uhhh…. I'm hungry?" WHAM! Without a word of warning, a harisan went whizzing in the air and found its target with remarkable ease, leaving poor Goku with a considerably bruised head.

"Dumb ape," Sanzo growled with annoyance then gave each of them a second, more intense glare. "What the hell is with you people anyway? Snoring your heads off at the table, oversleeping till heaven knows what time," The last was sarcastically directed at Hakkai. "Gods."

"Well, we DID turn in late last night," Hakkai mused thoughtfully. "Anyway, isn't this for the better, Sanzo? I promise you that the noise level would be much more tolerable today." A light chuckle, followed by one of his trademark smiles.

"Hnn."

Half an hour and a few gunshots later, the four of them were safely on their way once again. But it was a very quiet jeep this time, with Gojyo's thoughts safely in dreamland, his long legs dangling dangerously over the side of the jeep, and Goku drooling away as he dreamt on about gigantic dumplings and 3-inch-broad ramen. And so, it wasn't long before Hakkai felt his eyelids starting to droop as the jeep sped on mile after mile across the monotonous plains with its never-changing scenery, despite his supernatural efforts to keep them open. _I HAVE to keep myself awake, HAVE to….have tooo….zzzzzzz…. _The jeep continued on straight with Hakkai's foot on the pedal, leaving behind the correct path to travel across rocky terrain. The suddenly bumpy ride grated on Sanzo's nerves until he finally opened his eyes reluctantly to see for himself the condition of the road which threatened to send them all flying through the roof of the car. But what he saw was a huge ravine rushing up to them and a sleeping Hakkai at the wheel.

"SHIT!!!" Making a wild grab for the wheel with an air that could almost be described as frantic, Sanzo spun it hard to the left, not bothering to check if the coast was clear. Anything, he thought, would be better than the ravine, anything at all. Having cleared the edge of the ravine with about a couple of inches to spare, Sanzo sank back into his seat with relief only to spring forward again in disbelief at the sight of what they're heading for now.

'A goddamned river!!!" But before Sanzo could jerk the wheel towards another random direction again, Hakruyuu suddenly decided that enough was enough and that he wasn't gonna tolerate anymore of this crazy driving. Ant that was how the whole Sanzo party suddenly found themselves very unceremoniously sprawled in the dust, swallowing mouthfuls of sand.

"$(&$)$?!!??!!?"

"Huh? Where are we? Ne, Sanzo, why are we all playing with sand?"

'Ahahaha… I seem to recall all this being my fault…."

Sanzo merely glowered at Hakkai, imagining all the nasty things he could and would do to him if he only had the chance. But revengeful thoughts weren't going to get his butt of the sand and set the jeep moving on the road once again. He picked himself up from the hard, unyielding ground haughtily, dusted his robes down with a few well-placed slaps, and gave Hakkai a look which clearly said "Get that ass moving. Fast.", to which he replied with that oh-so-irritating smile.

"Why of course, Sanzo. Whenever you're ready."


	7. Chapter 7

As it turned out, no one would be moving their asses after all when a still-indignant Hakruyuu remained stubbornly perched on the tree branch high above their heads, adamantly refusing to come down despite Hakkai's coaxing and Sanzo's cursing or death threats. There was absolutely no way he was going through that outrageous experience of almost crashing headlong into ravine and rivers, coupled with that wild wrenching of the wheel. He nursed his sore nose in resent, squeaking away at them down below. Who did they think they were? Stuntmen?

After perhaps his 22nd failed attempt, Hakkai threw up his hands in despair. Who would have thought that even dragons were capable at sulking this badly? Sanzo, standing a little way off with a lighted cigarette clamped between his teeth, observed Hakkai turning away with his shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Stupid, idiotic, senseless bird." He scoffed to no one in particular, only to be rewarded with a very offended "KYUU!!" from up among the branches of the tree. Hakkai gave him a rather strained smile.

"I'm afraid, Sanzo, that your words have just earned us an extra hour's wait."

'Chh."

Goku lounged about miserably, rubbing his stomach to suppress the hunger pangs which assaulted him every so often. He eyed the bags of supplies longingly, and would have polished off the entire pile an hour ago if Sanzo hadn't stopped him with an "Eat that, and you'll eat this as well" while brandishing his gun very menacingly in front of his face. But that was an hour ago, wasn't it? And Sanzo couldn't possibly be that mean, could he? "I'm so so so HUNGRY, Sanzoooo……..I'm about to die of …." Goku's whine was suddenly cut off as a familiar smell wafted to his nostrils. If there was one thing that Goku can be counted on, it was identifying that particular smell. And there was absolutely no mistake about it. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the others had already gotten a whiff of it as well, judging from the fact that cigarettes were stubbed out and heads were turned. Any minute now….

"SANZO PARTY!!! Surrender the sutra or prepare to die!!!"

"Kiss my ass"

"……."

A thought suddenly struck Goku and he turned to the others excitedly. "Hey, guys! We can give them the sutra, can't we? After all, it's a mmmbphmmmphh…." As fast as lightning, Gojyo was by his side with an unyielding hand clasped over Goku's mouth. Sanzo stared at them with unconcealed suspicion. There was something going on with those three, something very fishy indeed. And he'll be darned if he doesn't get to the bottom of things very soon.

"Just ignore the little twerp, won't ya?" Gojyo put in cheerfully. "He was gonna hand the sutra over to those brainless invertebrates just because it isn't good to eat. Just goes to show you can't trust a monkey with important stuff like that, huh?"

The bunch of youkai who had been standing by with growing impatience shook with resentment at being referred to as 'brainless invertebrates". It was bad enough that they were being ignored like that, but to be insulted like they weren't even there about does it. "We'll show you who the real brainless invertebrates are!!" And with that, they swarmed forward, snarling and wielding wicked-looking weapons.

"Oh my, you guys are still here?" Hakkai replied in mild surprise, while nonchantly summoning one of his chi-balls. The youkai came headlong at him in big crowds, but just a light blast of chi and only a few bewildered ones were left wondering what had happened to their other comrades. He snuck a glance to see how the others were faring, and was reassured by the sight of Gojyo hacking away with his shakaju, muttering something about not understanding why anyone could be so eager to die, and Goku taking the youkai down by the dozens without even working up a sweat. Sanzo also seemed to be handling them well, firing shot after shot with deadly accuracy.

Having disposed of the front row of youkai without wasting a single bullet, Sanzo growled with annoyance at the sight of the never-ending torrent of youkai rushing forward to take the place of the departed. Easy as they were to defeat, these youkais were such a pain in the ass. They turn up at the most unwanted times and come up with the cheesiest lines, a frequent example being 'Hand over the sutra or Die'. And this freaking pissed Sanzo till no end. But he silently marveled at the increasing number of youkais sent to assassinate them, it was as if they bred like rabbits. His gun clicking on an empty chamber all of a sudden, Sanzo dived into a secret compartment of his robes for spare amno only to frown when his fingers closed around empty air. He couldn't possibly be out, could he? Further grouping, however, failed to produce any, and it was with annoyance that Sanzo thrust the now useless gun into another dark corner of his robes. Chh. What a bother. With no gun handy, he only had two choices; to rely on his usually-reliable kicks and punches, or to utilize the tightly-rolled up sutra sitting comfortably in one of his inside pockets. And judging from the amount of youkais that were fast closing in upon him, he could safely surmised that kicks and punches weren't going to hold them off for long.

He fished the scroll out grudgingly, his mouth automatically chanting away even as he did so. Hakkai, the ever-concerned one always keeping an eye on Sanzo, was the first to stare in dismay with the youkai surrounding him forgotten. His wide-eyed, alarm-filled expression was enough to make Gojyo and Goku twirled around, and they in turn goggled in horror at the sight of Sanzo relying on a supposedly Do-It-Yourself sutra to eliminate youkai. Oh, SHIT. In a trice, all three of them were on the move. Goku leapt nimbly over the heads of his bunch of snarling youkai, his nyoibu extending as he agilely dodged their wild clutches at him. Worry lent him wings and it was with a racing heart that he valiantly forced a way through the crowds of youkai. Sanzo was in danger! His only tool for fending off the youkai now rendered useless, Goku shuddered at the thought of what they might do to Sanzo if he was to fall into their arms. Of course, the little nagging voice at the back of his head reminding him of the fatal consequences if Sanzo was to discover the forged sutra contributed to his speed as well.

With one powerful blast, Hakkai managed to subdue sufficient youkais to create an exit wide enough for him to squeeze through. Hurtling past youkais before they have a chance to recover from their confusion, he was about to follow Goku's lead when a casual glance in Gojyo's direction stopped him short. "Watch out, Gojyo!" A nasty-looking blade sank into the ground as the youkai who had been stealthily creeping up behind Gojyo blew out of existence with a fiendish yell. Gojyo shot him a grateful look but no sooner had he done that when Hakkai was forced to conjure up another chi-ball for the youkai who had taken advantage of his momentary distraction to surge forward once again. Anxiety gave way to desperation as chi-ball after chi-ball was released with hardly any impact upon the youkai. Was there no end to these tiresome creatures?? He managed to sneak a hurried glance at his surroundings and noticed with distress that Gojyo was having enough difficulties of his own to lend a helping hand. Goku was still pushing his way though to Sanzo, but the many obstacles in the form of youkai, which appeared frequently in his path and had to be personally removed, drastically slowed him down. His apprehension heightened as the observed the first signs of Sanzo's mutterings coming to an end. Goku wasn't going to make it in time!


	8. Chapter 8

And….. I sincerely sincerely sincerely apologise for this very late update. With assignments and tutorials and exams and all that crap, it's kinda hard to find time to sit and type, and even then, my brain refuses to co-operate . Anyways, thanks loads to all you guys who have continued reading this, especially jarm XD Hope you won't find this disappointing!

Chapter 8

Sanzo's eyes suddenly shot open, glaring fixedly at the youkai poised in mid-jump directly in front of him. "MAKAI TENJYO!!!!" The sound of his resounding voice echoing throughout the enclosure was met with total and absolute silence. The youkai rushing up to him froze immediately, prepared to be extinguished by the overwhelming power of the sutra. Merry birds ceased to twitter. Noisy crickets' chirping stopped abruptly. And the frogs had suddenly decided that now wasn't the best time to continue croaking. Goku pulled up short at the sound of the yell, Gojyo groaned, and Hakkai winced. This was NOT good. Not good at all.

Ten whole seconds ticked by slowly, VERY slowly. The supposedly doomed front youkai who had frozen as if he was turned into stone cautiously cracked open an eyelid, fully expecting to see the sight of Satan himself, complete with pitchfork and all. Instead, he found himself staring at an incredulous-looking Sanzo who was peering disbelievingly at his sutra. "What the (#&(# is this????" Realisation suddenly dawned upon Sanzo when he noticed that the squiggly lines decorating the front of the sutra were, in fact, merely squiggly lines. Oh sure, they resemble the characters in the original sutra, but a closer inspection showed that the lines were shaky, the ink was of a shade lighter, and worst of all, the last line of the scroll was nothing but utter gibberish. Sanzo turned and faced he other three calmly, with the most unreadable expression ever. Experience, however, warned Hakkai that it was the calm before the storm, the false sense of tranquility before all hell breaks loose and he cringed at the thought of the inevitable.

Although undeniably a little on the dim-witted side with an IQ level far below the average person, the youkai weren't as brainless as to not grab an opportunity which falls straight into their laps. They lunged forward at Sanzo with unleashed ferocity, their faces twisted into unrecognizable masks of fury with their sharp nails glinting wickedly in the sun's fading rays. This was their moment. Revenge for all their sacrificed comrades. Success in their long-time mission of obtaining the sutra. And above all, immortality that comes from devouring the flesh of a Sanzo. Sanzo was caught off guard by the sudden attack, his mind still whirring from the forms of torture that would be required once he lay in hands on those three… well… he could think of no expletive apt enough to describe them. He suddenly became aware of the youkais' presence when they were within 2 feet from him, and by then, he could hardly dodge the far-reaching swords and outstretched arms aiming for his bare neck.

It was a pure nightmare for Goku, Gojyo, and Hakkai, watching as the sharp pointy nails slashed viciously across Sanzo's chest, eliciting a sharp gasp of pain from him as agony raced across his tormented body. Jagged swords sank deep into his abdomen, and it was all he could do in his hugely weakened state to raise his arms to parry the nasty-looking axes that would have hacked his head off if allowed to travel further. But this left him wide open, leaving the youkai ample opportunity to bury their spears and axes into his already profusely bleeding torso. Sanzo stumbled back in near blindness, choking back the strangled cry that threatened to burst out and clutching a gaping side wound with blood-stained hands. Efficient as he was when it comes to youkai, this was undoubtedly too much for him to handle. Weaponless, taken by surprise and outnumbered by fifty to one, it was a miracle he was still alive. But that won't be for long if this keeps up.

He made no move, choosing only to curse vehemently when one of the youkai gleefully snatched the sutra from his shoulders. Chh. They can have that wretched piece of thrash for all he cares. Good luck trying to revive Gyumaoh with it. His sarcastic thoughts were suddenly forgotten as the aggressive youkai drew nearer, ready to deliver the finishing blow that would rid the world of Genjyo Sanzo for good. Goku finally snapped out of his stupor and in three long steps, planted himself firmly between the advancing youkai and Sanzo. The cold, merciless and unforgiving stare he directed at the youkai spoke louder than any words he could have come up with, and the youkai suddenly found themselves with very reluctant feet and chilled blood running through their veins. Which was why they turned and fled, the one clutching the 'sutra' already vanishing into the thick undergrowth.

But Goku wasn't going to let them get away with it. No bloody way. They were going to suffer for what they had done to Sanzo. His mind clouded with fury and anguish, he crashed his way through the entire throng, toppling the youkais like bowling pins. Barely a handful escaped unscathed into the jungle, leaving the battlefield scattered with youkai bodies and looking like a massacre had taken place. Only then did the frenzied Goku pause to catch his breath, his eyes still glazed over with emotion.

"Goku?" Hakkai called out hesitatingly, unsure as to whether Goku was still his old self or had transformed into the Saiten Taisei Son Goku. Sure, the golden limiter around his head was still intact, but Goku's earlier rampage was so alike his uncontrollable other half that Hakkai seemed uncertain. But the Goku who turned and saw his Sun's severely wounded and unconscious state cried out in distress and hurried to his side where Hakkai was already situated, all signs of the previous violence gone.

"Hakkai! How is Sanzo?? Can you heal him? Is he going to be alright??"

Hakkai released a breath he didn't know he had been holding and gave Goku a slight smile, as reassuring as he could make it. "I'll try my best, Goku, don't worry." His brow furrowed with concentration, a tiny glow of light appeared beneath his palms hovering over the profusely bleeding gashes. The most he could do was to stop the bleeding before Sanzo bled to death and pray that his only injuries were merely surface wounds. Sanzo was in very bad shape, there was no doubt about that. There were numerous deep slashes across the entire length of his chest, and a huge gaping wound just below his left ribs. _Most probably from one of those axes_, Hakkai surmised absently even as he hastened to seal it close. And his arm…. even Hakkai grimaced at the sight of it. The hacks were brutal enough to leave very jagged tears in the flesh, some deep enough for the bone to peek through. Infection was going to be a problem afterwards. But right now, the bleeding… that was what he should focus on.

Goku, who could only stare at Hakkai's every move anxiously, fidgeted endlessly as his thoughts ran wild. _What if Sanzo was too badly injured?? What if Sanzo doesn't make it?? What if… what if…_. A hand suddenly clamped down upon his shoulder, making him jump. He whirled around, already summoning his Nyoibu in anticipation of more youkai to be pummeled, but checked himself when he saw it was only Gojyo. Having disposed of the few remaining unfortunate youkai, he had hastened over to them, his expression grave for once when he noted Sanzo's severe injuries. The seriousness of the situation did not escape him, and though many arrive at the conclusion that there was no love lost between him and Sanzo, their constant squabbling and heated debates merely served to strengthen their companionship, although both would deny this fervently. And Gojyo knew that Sanzo was more fragile than any of them, where the precarious line between life and death could be easily crossed.

"How's he doing?" asked Gojyo quietly when he noticed the fading glow from Hakkai's fingertips. Hakkai turned to them, his expression dead-panned but his eyes betraying the worry he was struggling to hide from them.

"I've closed his surface wounds and stopped the bleeding, but there's severe internal bleeding which I can't do anything about." He paused for a moment to let the words sink in. "We need to get him to a doctor fast. I think it's best if we retraced our steps to the last town instead of trying to make it to the next one"

"But… but… he'll be alright, won't he, Hakkai?"

"You've got nothing to worry about, idiot saru…. Sanzo's tougher than he looks. Hell, I bet he'll even outlive me."

"I'm sure Gojyo's quite right about that, Goku," Hakkai managed a rather watery smile at that. Then at Gojyo's sudden frown, he hastily added, "The 'being tougher than he looks' part I mean, not the outliving part."

Hakruyuu had readily agreed to descend from his high perch, getting medical attention for Sanzo being an emergency and all. Goku had insisted on carrying Sanzo to the jeep and Gojyo had insisted that Goku's doing would only result in Sanzo's back being broken or something to that effect and that HE, should be the one transporting him to the car. But a stern look from Hakkai had sufficed, and between themselves, they had managed to move Sanzo into the backseat of the jeep without inflicting further damage upon him. In five minutes' time, they were on their way. Hakkai behind the wheel and very wide awake, Gojyo beside him and not finding trouble with Goku for once, and Goku nursing a still-unconscious Sanzo whose head rested comfortably on his lap. And they remained that way till the town they were heading for loomed into view four hours later.


	9. Chapter 9

In the remotest possibility of anyone still keeping up with this piece of fanfic, my apologies for the very late update

In the remotest possibility of anyone still keeping up with this piece of fanfic, my apologies for the very late update. Truth was, my laptop got snitched and there went the next 5 – 6 chapters of my carefully typed out story. Kinda demoralizes someone, I'll say, especially when that someone has no backup of it nor any original manuscript. And so, after retyping the chapter out using bits and pieces of what I can remember, here's the next chappie – just testing the waters here to see if there's anyone still looking forward to the ending, otherwise it's RIP for me – Retire In Peace.

Only after Sanzo had been carefully installed in one of the inn's best room and his injuries tended to by the only village doctor who had been sent in a tearing hurry, did Hakkai allow himself to rest his weary limbs. He watched silently, together with Gojyo and a restless Goku, as the doctor probed and poked about in what looked like to be a very painful manner. Sanzo remained deathly pale and did not stir even once throughout the entire process. And for someone who could slap away gods conducting blood transfusions on him even in unconsciousness, that was definitely not a good sign. The doctor's findings had confirmed Hakkai's judgments; there was serious internal bleeding that could only be patched up indirectly through herbs and other medicinal plants. He finally withdrew reluctantly from the patient's side after a long tedious hour.

"I've done all I can for the priest," he remarked quietly, a hint of somberness creeping into his voice even as he spoke. There was a slight hesitation on his part before he continued in the same quiet voice. "In all honesty, his situation is quite serious. If the internal bleeding doesn't cease within the next couple of hours, the consequences might be…..critical." He couldn't bring himself to mention the word which had been lingering in his mind. Fatal. Not while the kid's eyes were peering at him tearfully and the other guy wringing his hands in near despair. His gaze fell upon the seemingly expressionless face of the red-haired guy, but years of experience could easily discern the immense worry lurking behind those red orbs. The old doctor sighed as he ran a weary hand through his graying hair almost unconsciously. This was the part of his job which he hated the most.

"I'll be coming in to check on him every hour or so, but call for me immediately if there are any new developments." He paused for a second, and his grizzly tone changed into one much gentler. "Have faith in him. That's the least you can do right now."

Gracious even in his current disoriented state, Hakkai politely showed the doctor to the door, then leaned back heavily against it as it clicked shut. The wave of helplessness washing over him brought back strong memories. Unpleasant memories. Memories he wanted to be rid off forever. But now they returned with a sudden intensity, the dread, the hopelessness, the despair, all threatening to overwhelm him and steer him towards the brink of insanity. He couldn't face another death, not another one……….He was abruptly jolted back into reality when a heavy hand fell upon his shoulder. Without turning, Hakkai immediately knew who it was. Gojyo. Pulling him back from the recesses of his mind once again. Hakkai shot him a grateful look, to which he replied with a small knowing smile. There was no need for words. After years of bunking together, Gojyo had learnt to recognize the signs, and was getting better at putting a lid on those insecurities each time they were stirred.

"I must have zoned out again, huh?" The words came out shaky, but Hakkai was relieved to note that he sounded normal.

"Zoning out would be an understatement. More like 'Driving myself cuckoo by dredging up whatever painful memories in the past that I can think of".

That earned him a wan smile from Hakkai, who seemed relieved Gojyo didn't push the matter further like he did on several occasions. "Thanks, Gojyo. And I really mean it."

"Glad to be of help. Though I must say I'm getting tired of having to haul your ass back to this world every time that happens." All this was said with a good-natured grin and Hakkai couldn't help the tiny smile that slipped out of him. His frame of mind quickly returning to normal, he glanced over at Sanzo who was still looking uncharacteristically at peace and frowned when his gaze fell upon Goku. The boy was quiet, too quiet, and remained crouched over his master like a faithful dog unwilling to part from its owner. Shock, was Hakkai's first thought as he placed a comforting hand on Goku's arm.

"Goku?" ventured Hakkai quietly when it was clear that no reaction was forthcoming. He had to repeat himself a second time before Goku turned vacant, unseeing eyes in his direction. And Hakkai shuddered at the look of them. There was not the slightest hint of recognition within those staring eyes. It was as if all spirit within the boy had died, a complete shut down of the mind, body and soul, leaving behind only an empty shell oblivious to all that was happening around him. And a far cry from the cheerful, bouncy personality they had all come to appreciate and love.

"Goku, listen to me! Sanzo is going to be alright, he's going to pull through this. Goku?" Hakkai exchanged worried looks with Gojyo when the boy remained unresponsive. They were still not getting through to him.

A brown arm suddenly snaked around Goku's neck, encircling him in a firm head-lock and catching him completely off guard. They remained in this position for a couple of seconds before Goku struggled to free himself from the surprisingly strong grip.

"Stop it, ero-kappa." The words came out flat and monotonous, but the 'ero-kappa' which slipped out gave them a little hope.

"Goku, you have to listen to me. Sanzo will never give up without a fight, he can pull through this. And what we can do is believe in him. It's not the time to be having doubts, or scaring yourself over uncertainties." The soft but firm tone seemed to be working. There was still a haunted look in those eyes, but anything was better than those blank unstaring ones. And then Goku's lips began to quiver as he struggled to restrain the raw emotions that were threatening to burst out of him.

Gojyo heaved a sigh of relief as Goku finally collapsed into Hakkai' arms, shaking with uncontrolled sobs. This Hakkai could deal with. His gaze involuntarily shifted back towards the priest, and he suddenly shivered to think of the consequences if Sanzo somehow did not make it. Hakkai would probably lose it, blaming himself entirely for Sanzo's demise, while Goku would literally become a walking zombie. And as for himself, well, he'll rather not go into that just yet. He continued staring at the still, unmoving form of the priest, silently willing him to wake up, yell a few curses or let loose a few gunshots, and put everything right again. They all needed him. There was no denying it.


End file.
